Adventures at the U.S. Embassy

I know, I know, it's been a good two weeks since we have managed to post here.  It's been a bit busy here the past two weeks.  My (E's)  "paternity leave" ended and it was time to head back to work, which also means it was time for L to fly solo at home with the two littles.  Needless to say, it's been an adjustment.  Add to this two solid weeks of rainy weather and it's been a challenge just keeping up with the house (wishful thinking).  And, in all honesty, though I thought many times about posting an update, there just wasn't much to write about.  Days with an infant are at the same time unpredictable and routine, and other than a couple of trips into Paris we've just been laying low.

Our biggest adventure lately was heading to the U.S. Embassy to register B's birth.  Children born to Americans abroad must be registered at the Embassy in order to get a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.  This allows us to apply for his passport (necessary for our upcoming trip to Canada and the U.S.) as well as his social security number.  The process is pretty straightforward: after the birth, you make an appointment with the Embassy (be warned that appointments for the U.S. Embassy in Paris fill up about a month in advance!), fill out the requisite applications, and show up at the Embassy with the French birth certificate as well as proof of the parents' citizenship.  If you are in a hurry to get a passport, it is worth your while to keep checking the appointment website even after making an initial appointment, because canceled appointment slots re-open often.  We were able to shave a week off our initial appointment date by checking regularly - and it's a good thing we did...

We got to the Embassy about 30 minutes before our appointment with our carefully-prepared documents.  L and I had both checked over everything twice to ensure that we had filled everything out properly.  After waiting an hour or so at the Embassy, but before our number was called, I suddenly realized that ohmygodweforgothisbirthcertificate!  Yes, really.  Despite our careful checking and double checking, B's birth certificate was sitting in our apartment, an hour away from the Embassy.  My heart fell into my stomach.  Since our flight to Canada is in less than 4 weeks, and it takes 14 days to get the passport, and about a month to reschedule an appointment, we decided that our only option to play dumb.  We headed to the counter when our number was called, handed over all of our forms, and then reenacted our panicked moment 10 minutes before, when we actually realized his birth certificate was missing.  And score!  The agent helping us was sympathetic, took our application materials, and told us to just mail the certificate in the next day.

Yeah!  We were home free!

... or were we?

About 20 minutes later we got called back to a second window, where L was to be sworn in as the final formality.  Since L is the only parent on the French birth certificate, and is therefore officially a single mother, she also needed to prove physical presence in the U.S. for at least a year prior to B's birth.  Incidentally, married women do not need to provide this documentation - nevermind that we are married!  Fortunately we had come armed with utility bills and tax documents that should provide the necessary documentation.  We figured that was the last hurdle.  The agent helping us, however, asked to swear me in as well.  He then explained to us that he wanted to see if there was any way to put my name on the Consular Report of Birth Abroad as well as on B's passport application.  If we ever move back to the U.S., the CRBA essentially becomes B's defacto birth certificate, so having both of our names on it would be a really, really big deal.  Because we are Registered Domestic Partners in Oregon, had B been born in Oregon we both would be on his birth certificate, so being on the CRBA would essentially be the same thing.  The agent told us that he wanted to seek some guidance from the head office in Washington D.C. on how to proceed with our paperwork, and to see if there was any legal reasoning that would allow my name to appear.  We may need to make another appearance at the Embassy, and it means we are cutting it waaaay too close for comfort to our departure date, but globally this is actually really great news.  I will post updates on this as we get more news from the Embassy, as this could have important ramifications for other same-sex families who have children abroad.

On another note, B is officially one month old today (already!).  To celebrate... I am heading to bed.  Nights are sporadic these days, and this mommy needs all the sleep she can get.

- E